Burial vault



J. C. STEINER Aug. 7, 1934.

BURIAL VAULT Filed May 31, 1932 HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 7, 1934 men STATES ATENT GFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in burial vaults, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

It is an object of this invention to provide an effective'seal between the body portion or box and the cover or closure member of a burial vault to prevent air and water from seeping into the vault between the body portion and the cover thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an effective double seal between the body portion or box and the cover or closure member of a burial vault to prevent air and water from seeping into the vault between the body portion and cover thereof.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a burial vault embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail view illustrating a preferred form of my improved seal;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a modification of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 3 illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 but illustrating a further embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating another modification of the invention.

In the drawing 10 generally indicates a burial vault which includes a body portion or box 11 and a cover or closure member 12 adapted to fit over and close the open upper side 13 of the body portion 11. The vault 10 may be made of any suitable material such, as for example, concrete r or the like.

To eifect an air and water tight seal between the body portion 11 and the cover 12, in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3, I provide a marginal rib 14 on the walls 16 of the body portion 11 and a marginal groove 15 on the walls 17 of the cover 12, the groove 15 receiving the rib 14 which projects thereinto when the cover 12 is placed upon the body portion 11. In the groove 15, I place a sealing composition 18, which may be made of any suitable material, and this sealing composition adheres to the upper surfaces 13 of the walls 16 of the box 11, as at 19, and likewise to the portion of cover 12 that defines the groove 15. To effect my improved seal the rib 14 is covered by a strip which has arms 21 thatextend alongside of the rib 14. These arms 21 are embedded in the walls 16 of the box. This strip 20 may be made of any suitable material to which the sealing composition 18 will adhere, such as, for example, metal, and corrugated metal is preferred as it provides a larger surface area, for the sealing composition 18 to adhere to perfeet the seal between the box 11 and cover 12. Corrugated metal likewise helps to retain the arms 21 in wall 16 into which the arms may be embedded when the box 11 is being made.

The rib 14 is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 47 and the strip 20 is provided with a similarly grooved portion 48 to fit in the groove 50. Provided in the wall 17 is a rib 49 that projects into the groove 15 above the roove 48.. When the cover 12 is placed upon the box 11 the rib 52 penetrates into the sealing composition 18 and spreads the same, forcing the sealing composition against the-strip 20 on both sides of the groove 48 and against the walls of the groove 15 whereby the sealing composition 18 is rendered very compact and imperviable to air and water, thus effecting a seal between the cover '12 and box 11.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 2 the wall of the box is indicated at 23 and the wall of the cover at 24. In the wall 24 a marginal groove 25, similar to groove 15, is provided and extending into this groove 25 is a marginal rib 26 on the wall 23; this rib 26 being covered by a strip 27 that is substantially similar to strip 20. The groove 25 is filled with sealing composition 28, similar to sealing composition 18. In this embodiment of the invention a rib or portion 29 of the wall 24 contacts, as at 30, with the portion 28 of strip 27 that extends over the upper side of rib 26 to effect a seal between the walls 23 and 24 and since the sealing composition 28 efiects a seal at the areas 31 a double seal is thus effected between the wall 23 and the wall 24.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4, the wall of the box is indicated at 32 and the wall of the cover is indicated at 33. In the cover wall 33 a marginal groove 34 is provided and this groove is filled with a sealing composition 35, similar to composition 18. This sealing composition 35 effects along the areas 36 a seal between the walls 32 and 33. To effect a double seal between the walls 32 and 38 I embed in the wall 32 a channel-shaped strip 3'7 which has spaced arms 38 extended into the groove 34 and contacting at their upper ends, as at 39, with the wall 33 whereby a seal is effected at points 39 between the walls 32 and 33.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5, the wall of the box is indicated at 40 and the wall of the cover at 41. In the wall 41 is provided a marginal groove 42 that is filled with a sealing composition 43, similar to the sealing composition 18. This sealing composition 43 adheres to the wall 40 along the areas 44 and effects a seal between the walls 40 and 41. To effect a further and double seal between the walls 40 and 41 I embed in the wall 40 spaced strips 45 which extend into the groove 42 and contact or engage with the wall 41 at their upper ends, as at 46, whereby a seal is effected at the points 46 between the walls 40 and 41. r V

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6 the wall of the box is indicated at 50 and the Wall of the cover at 51. In the wall 51 of the cover a marginal groove 52 is provided and this groove is filled with a sealingv composition 53, which may be similar to the composition 18. A marginal rib 54 on the wall 50 projects into the groove 52 and the upper face of this rib has a tapered ridge 55. A strip 56 extends over the rib 54 and has arms 5'7 embedded in the wall 50. The upper wall 58 of the groove 52 is shaped to conform to the taper of ridge of the rib 54 and to the corresponding taperoi the portion 59 of strip 56 that extends over the ridge 55 of rib 54, where by when theiwall 51. of the cover is placed upon the wall 50 of the box the sealing composition 53 in groove 52 is wedged or spread out against the walls oi the groove 52 rendering the sealing coma position very compact and imperviable to air and water.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to belimiteld to the precise detailsor construction setforth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modificationsas come within the scope of the appended claims. I

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a burial vault comprising a concrete box part and a concrete cover part for closing the same, one of said partsbeingprovided with a groove, the other of said parts being provided with an integral rib arranged to be positioned within said groove and partly filling the same, a metallic liner enclosing said rib, and an initially plastic sealing material between the walls of said groove and said metallic lined rib.

2. In a burial vault comprising a concrete box part and a concrete cover part for closing the same, one of said parts being provided with a groove, the other of said parts being provided with an integral rib arranged to be positioned within said groove and partly filling the same, a metallic liner enclosing said rib, and an initially plastic sealing material between the walls of said groove and said metallic lined rib, said groove being provided with deflecting surfaces arranged to spread said sealing material.

3. In a burial vault comprising a concrete box part and a concrete cover part for closing the same, one of said parts being provided with a groove, the other of said parts being provided with an integral rib arranged to be positioned within said groove and partly filling the same, a metallic liner enclosing said rib, and an initially plastic sealing material between the walls of said groove and said metallic lined rib, said groove being provided with deflecting surfaces arranged to spread said sealing'material, and said metallic lined rib having co-operating deflecting surfaces, to spread the sealing material.

4. In a burial vaultcomprising a concrete box part and a concrete cover part for closing the same, one of said parts being provided with a groove, an initially plastic sealing material in said groove, and a metallic blade partly anchored in the other of said parts and aligned with said groove, to be imbedded in said initially plastic material when the two parts are placed together, said blade extending through the sealing material and contacting the Wall or" said groove.

5. In a burial vault comprising a concrete box part and a concrete cover part for closing the same, one of said parts being provided with a groove, a sealing material disposed within the groove, the other'of said parts being provided with pair of blades partly imbedded therein and aligned with said groove, to penetrate said sealing material and contact with thewall of the I groove when said parts areplaced together.

' 6. In a burial vault comprising a concrete box part and a concrete cover part for closing the same, one of said parts being provided with a groove, an initially'plastic sealing material in said groove, and a metallic blade partly anchored in the other of said parts and alignedwith said groove, to be imbedded in said initiallyplastic material whenthetwo parts are placed together.

, JOSEPH C. STEINER. 

